Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin in gold nanowire array

Gold nanowire array has been proven to be efficient support matrixes for the immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb). The vertically oriented nanowire array provides an ordered well-defined 3D structure with nanowire density ∼5 × 108 cm2. The adsorption of ferritin onto the nanowire surface was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. When Hb was adsorbed, UV–vis absorption and Fourier transform infrared (FT–IR) spectra show no obvious denaturation of Hb in the nanowire array. The Hb-modified nanowire array exerted direct electron transfer and gave a well-defined, nearly reversible redox couple with formal potential of −0.225 V. The quantity of electroactive Hb varied with the changing of the morphology of the electrode and found to increase with the increasing of the nanowire length. Comparisons of voltammetric and quartz crystal microbalance measurements show that 70% of the Hb molecules adsorbed are electroactive when the length of the nanowire was 2 μm. Both of the Hb-modified nanowire array and the unmodified nanowire array demonstrate good electrocatalytic reduction ability for hydrogen peroxide. With the adsorption of glucose oxidase onto the bare nanowire surface, sensitive and selective glucose biosensors can be fabricated.